The traditional method of forming the crystal blank is done by a highly skilled blower who gathers the molten mixture at the end of an iron blowpipe and then forms the blank shape purely by means of his skill or by blowing the “gather” into a rough mold. After cooling, the blank is then ready to be sketched, cut, polished and decorated in whatever manner the artisan has chosen. Full lead crystal, which is mouth blown in the traditional method, may from time to time have a few minor bubbles contained within the piece. This is generally accepted as a by-product of the traditional process and does not detract from the piece. On occasion, small, barely perceivable lines may be detected within a piece of crystal. These represent slight variations in the density of the molten crystal, which remain after the crystal has cooled. These lines are called cords and are also considered a by-product of the traditional process. It should be noted that each piece of true hand cut lead crystal is a unique product of the individual artisan or artisans who have produced it. For example within a set of stemware of the same pattern there may be very slight variations in pattern size and spacing of the elements. This only serves to embellish the charm and appreciation of such artisanship and is by no means considered a detriment. Absolute product consistency is only achieved by fully mechanized production, not by a craftsperson. Slight variation within a matched set of cut crystal is the accepted benchmark for handcrafted artisanship. It is comforting to note that in this age of accelerating technology someone is still practicing traditional, limited production, hand crafted work.